It's undoubtedly great to just walk around the city, grabbing some traditional food every now and then, but if you really want to get to know more about the culture of the place you are visiting, the best thing to do is to visit a museum like this one. Here you will admire numerous exhibitions regarding the origins of Romani people and what they have been through, especially in the last centuries.

The collection of streets between the city centre and the Jeker quarter is known as the Stokstraat quarter. It’s that historic corner of the city between two statues, ‘De Mestreechter Geis’ and ‘Slevrouwe’. All of these streets ultimately lead to the ever-charming, intimate and romantic Onze Lieve Vrouweplein. In this part of the city, you can find the warmth and charm of a classic Maastricht pub on virtually every corner. The quarter takes its name from what may be the city’s most famous (or infamous) street. Today, Stokstraat is known as the place for the most exclusive and luxury shops in the Netherlands, but it was not always so. If there’s any street that has seen its fortunes turn over the years, it’s this one. In the Middle Ages, its reputation was dubious thanks to its many bathhouse-brothels; later, the street enjoyed a renaissance with many reputable merchants established in it, until, as the Industrial Revolution took hold and the city centre became overpopulated with wave after wave of migrants from the countryside, the street became synonymous with grinding poverty. Living conditions here became so dire that there was even talk of demolishing the entire street. The Stokstraat quarter of today is the result of a dramatic redevelopment between 1950 and 1973, which succeeded in preserving its historic character but transforming it into a fashionable address for living, shopping, and dining.

In 1832, Russia began construction of the fortress of Bomarsund. Since Åland then constituted the westernmost part of Czarist Russia and had a location of strategic importance, Russia desired a strong military presence and an impressive fortress there. During the Crimean War, in 1854, an Anglo-French naval force attacked the fortress, which resulted in the Battle of Bomarsund. The fortress was demolished and today only ruins (and the Bomarsund Museum) serve testament to Russian presence and the grandiose plans once wielded for Åland. If you wish to find out more about this part of the struggle between the great powers during the Crimean War, visit Bomarsund, and watch the film “Bomarsund, vägen till fred” ("the road to peace").